Baffle and mounting means in refrigerator



Nov. 20, 1956 R. A. JANSEN 2,770,954

BAFFLE AND MOUNTING MEANS IN REFRIGERATOR 7 Filed Nov. 28, 1951 I 5 he tshe 1 INVEVTOR.

ROBERT A. JANSE/"v'.

3 5 1 v z /Q ATTORNEY.

Nov. 20, 1956 R. A. JANSEN 2,770,954

BAFFLE AND MOUNTING MEANS IN REFRIGERATOR Filed Nov. 28, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

, ROBERT A. JANSEN.

I 2 am aw ATTORNEY.

Nov. 20, 1956 R. A. JANSEN 2,770,954

BAFFLE AND MOUNTING MEANS IN REFRIGERATOR Filed Nov. 28, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. y ROBERT A. JANSEN.

MMQ W ATTORNEY.

Nov. 20, 1956 R. A. JANSEN 2,77 ,9

' BAFFLE AND MOUNTING MEANS IN REFRIGERATOR Filed Nov. 28, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 mmvrox ROBERT A. JANSEN.

ATTORNEY.

Nov. 20, 1956 A, ANSEIQ 2,770,954

BAFF'LE AND MOUNTING MEANS IN REFRIGERATOR Filed Nov. 28, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 .IN V EN TOR.

ROBERT A. JANSEN.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent BAFFLE AND MOUNTING MEANS IN REFRIGERATOR Robert Alexander Jansen, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Avco Manufacturing Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application November 28, 1951, Serial No. 258,665

7 Claims. (Cl. 62117.3)

The present invention relates to a refrigerator baflle installation, particularly for use in a two door refrigerator. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a means for mounting a baffle within a two door refrigera'tor wherein the baffle separates an upper freezing compartment from a lower food storage compartment.

There is widespread interest today in two door refrigerators including upper and lower doors which provide access to the freezing compartment and food storage compartment of the refrigerator, respectively, which are maintained at different temperatures. In refrigerators of this type, it is commonplace to incorporate a horizontalmullion orybarrier strip for dividing the upper and lower access openings and providing a bearing surface against which the adjacent horizontal edges of the doors may bear in sealing relationship.

In order to control the convection currents and the desired temperature differential within the refrigerator, it is necessary to interpose a horizontal partition between the upper freezing compartment and the food storage compartment, particularly where a single evaporator is provided in the freezing compartment to cool the entire interior of the refrigerator. Preferably, the bafile should be disposed at about the level of the mullion sothat the interior volume of the refrigerator is conserved by using the space behind the mullion which might otherwise be wasted.

It is also contemplated that an adjustable control damper may be pivotally secured to the rear of the battle in position to control the flow of air from the freezing compartment downwardly into the food storage compartment.

According to'the present invention, a bafile is removably supported behind the mullion in such a fashion that it is vertically adjustable for contact with defroster-heater elements disposed above the baffie and beneath the evaporator which is within the freezing compartment. Adjustability is attained by rotatable eccentrics which support the rear of the baffie while removability is attained by the provision of swingable brackets for releasably supporting the front of the baflie. The ,baffie is easily removed by being released at its forward end and dropped toan inclined position permitting removal through the lower ac- CGISS OPCHlIlg.

The rear face of the mullion is provided with slotted 1 members for cooperative engagement withT-members formed integrally on the forward edge of the baffle. When the baffle is installed in the refrigerator, its rear portion is first brought into sliding engagement with the eccentrics and its forward edgeis thereafter raised until the T-members come into guiding engagement with the slots at the rear of the mullion. The swingable brackets are then shifted into engagement with the front of the bafile, completing the mounting of the bafile-in a preferred position within the refrigerator.

An important advantage of the T-member and slot arrangement is that the baffle is firmly anchored when installed so that a drawer, such as a meat drawer, may be "ice slidably supported beneath the bafile for fore and aft movements without disturbing the position of the baflle.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a partitioning baffle within a two door refrigerator which may be easily installed and removed from behind a stationary horizontal mullion. A further object is to provide a baflie which physically cooperates with a portion of the mullion to insure preferred positioning of the baffle within the refrigerator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable mounting for a refrigerator baflle so that the baflle can be raised and lowered as required to bring it into bearing engagement with defroster heaters located above the baflie.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable support for the rear edge of a horizontal baffle which is not only adjustable to change the vertical position of the baffle, but also includes a cooperating member for holding the baffle against any vertical displacement from its adjusted position.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide means on a bafile for cooperation with a mullion so that the baffie is held against movement in directions parallel to its own plane.

A further object of the present invention is to provide all of the foregoing objects in combination with a battle which is also used to collect drainage water collected from the evaporator during the time that it is being defrosted.

From a more general viewpoint, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mounting arrangement for -a refrigerator bafile that is simple, inexpensive, and easily of, will best be understood from the following description ofa specific embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 1

Figure 1 shows a front elevational view of the top portion of a two door refrigerator, the figure showing a horizontal mullion which defines in part the upper and lower access openings permitting entry into the freezing and food storage compartments, respectively;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view taken on plane 22 of Figure 1, a portion of one side wall of the refrigerator being cut away as indicated by the section lines, to reveal the interior construction of the refrigerator at the level of the mullion;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic showing of the bafile supported on a pair of special br-ackets, one of each of which is attached to each interior side wall of the refrigerator cabinet;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view, to an enlarged scale, showing the mullion and the associated components which cooperate to position the baffle within the refrigerator at the level of the mullion;

Figure 5 is a perspective view to an enlarged scale showing a T-member formed integrally with the baffle in position to engage a slot provided at the rear of the mullion; and

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on plane 6--6 of Figure 3, showing the structural details of the adjustable bracket and eccentric for supporting the rear portion of the baffle.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the present invention comprises a refrigerator cabinet including an outer shell, generally designated 1, and an inner liner 2 between which is disposed thermal insulation (not shown) in conventional manner. A mullion 3 extends horizontally between the sides of the cabinet, and in cooperation therewith defines upper and lower access openings 4 and 5, respectively, topermit entree into freezing compartment and,

food storage compartments 6 and 7, respectively.

The freezing compartment is defined by an evaporator 8whichcooperates with other portions of a refrigerating system (not shown) to extract heatlfrom'the'interior of the refrigerator. In the preferredembodiment illustrated, a single evaporator is provided to refrigerate .thenentire interior of the cabineLfl The food storage compartmentfl is cooled ,by convection currents which effect heatitransfer between the evaporator and lower. compartment.

As willbe understood by those-wellversed in the art, the

temperature within compartment 6:2 is ,suo+freezing, in.

the order of 10 F., while the temperature'in 'thefood storage compartment is around 40F. In order to maintain this temperature differential within. the cabinet, it t is necessary to control the convection currents of air which ar established by the low temperature of the evaporator relative to the higher temperature .of the food storage compartment. This control is conventionally attained by the provision of a partition between the two compartments, the partition restricting almost the entire airflow therebetween but permitting a sufficient amount to maintain the temperature of the food storage compartment at a desirable level.

In single door refrigerators having one access opening, mounting of the partition is a relatively simple matter since the partition can be inserted and removed by linear movements perpendicular to the front face .of the cabinet.

In two door refrigerators of the type illustrated, however,

the presence of mullion 3 complicates the mounting and installation of such a partition since it is desirable to locate the partition substantially at the same level as the mullion to conserve the useful volume of the refrigerator. It will be obvious that the million prevents movement of the partition :along a straight path fore and aft of the refrigerator.

The installation of the baffle is further complicated by the presence of. defrosterheater elements 9 which are provided beneath the evaporator for supplying heat to the evaporator periodically for defrosting-purposes. It has been found desirable to position the baflie in contact relationship with a portion of these elements in order to insure complete and effective removal of any ice on the bafile, particularly ice tending to form from the defrost transverse bafiie 10 which is located behind and substan-- tially at the same level as mullion 3. The rear portion of baffle 10 is supported on adjustable brackets 11,.the front r end being releasably supported on swingable brackets 12;

The details of these brackets are best illustrated in'Figure 3 which shows in phantom lines the battle 10:s'upported by the brackets.

It will be noted that bracket 11 includes a planar pore tion 13 which is formed at its upper end into1an arcuate" projection 14 which overlies the top surface :of the baffle. Struckout of planar portion-13 is a prong 15*whichengages a slot 15a (see Figure 6) formedinthe inner liner 2 to guide the bracket for limited: vertical-,motion- A cylindrical member 16 is eccentrically and rotatably secured, as by screw 17, to-the wall-of the inner liner, the bafile being confined between projection14 and the upper surface of cylindrical member 16. When member 16 is rotated about screw 17, the rear portion of the batfie is raised and'lowered. By means of this adjustment, the

baffle can be raised until it is in contact relationship with the defroster heater, thereby assuring that any ice on the baflie is melted during the defrosting cycle.

Bracket 12 consists of an L-shaped member 18 including a horizontally extending leg 19 for engagement with the lower surface of the baffle. The L-shaped member is pivotally supported for fore and aft swinging movements by a channel-shaped clamp 20 secured to the side wall of inner liner 2. A detent may be provided at 19a to lock member 18 in vertical position when it is in supporting relationship with the baffle.

When the L-shaped member is swung from its full line position to the position shown in dash lines, the front portion of the bafiie can be lowered, the bafiie pivoting about member 16 to an inclined position. When in this position, the baffle can be readily removed through the lower access opening 5.

With reference to Figures 2 and 3, it will be noted that airflow passages are defined by the periphery of the bafiie in conjunction with the inner liner of the cabinet. A

flow passage is provided at both sides of the baffle as well 1 as at its rear, this rear passage being indicated in Figure 2 byreference numeral 21. A damper 22 is hingedly attached, as at 23, to the rear of the baffie and can be adjusted in position by means of a control knob 24 which projects forwardly beyond the front of the bafiie. During the summer months, when the rate of heat absorption by the evaporator must be a maximum, damper 22 is lowered to provide a free flow of air through passage 21. On the other hand, during the winter months when the rate of heat transfer, and consequently the rate of circulation of air within the refrigerator, can be a minimum,

damper 22 is raised either fullyor partially, as desired, to obstruct the flow of air downwardly from the evaporator through passage 21. In view of the cooperation of damper 22 with passage 21 and the desirability of a flow.

passageway at both sides of the baffle, it is necessary that baffle 10 be installed within the refrigerator in substantially a predetermined position.

Baffie 10 not only serves the purpose of partitioning the upper compartment of the refrigerator from the lower,

but also acts as a collecting tray for the water which drains from evaporator 8 during the defrosting process.

This water collects on the top surface of the bafile and.

is directed by flow channels formed therein (not shown) to an outlet opening 25 through which the water. drains to a funnel 26 which is connected to a pipe line 27 by which the water is conveyed to a receptacle in the machine compartment of the refrigerator. The details of the ,drainagesystern donot comprise any part of the present invention and are fully. described in the beforementioned pending application.

The principal fact to be appreciated for the purposes of the present invention is that the baffle must also be properly centered so that all of the water from the evaporator can be collected and directedto the exterior of the is upward at its forward edge. This fact has been utilized in providing an arrangement for guiding the baffle during this motion to a predetermined position within the refrigerator.

As illustrated particularly well in Figure 5, the means for guiding the baffle into position comprises a pair of T-shaped projections 28 which are formed integrally with theforward portion of the baffle. These T-shaped membets are engaged by slotted members 29 whichare formed in the rear face of the mullion. As illustrated in Figure 5, each member 29 is more or less triangular in shape and has a forward wall 30 which is slotted at 31 to receive portion 32 of T-member 28. By properly locating the T-members on the baflle relative to the slotted members 29, the battle is automatically guided into the desired position within the refrigerator as it is raised for engagement with brackets 12.

It is to be noted that the T-members not only locate the baflie, but hold it against displacement after it is properly located. This is important since it is desirable to support a drawer, such as a meat drawer 33, beneath the .baifle in a position to be withdrawn through the lower access opening, the drawer just clearin'gthe bottom of mullion 3. Were it not for the .T-members 28 and their locking engagement with members 29, movement of drawer 33 would tend to shift baffle which would obviously be undesirable in view of theme of the baflle in defining the airflow passages and collecting defrost water from the evaporator. Another factor to be noted is that baflle 10 tends to be tilted by the meat drawer when it is extended through the lower access opening. Any tilting of the baflle would impose a load on the defroster-heater elements with which the baflie is in contact. This would be undesirable and is effectively avoided by the provision of projections 14 of brackets 11. These projections engage the top surface of the bafile and prevent it from rising regardless of the position assumed by the meat drawer.

For the purposes of the present invention, the mullion may be constructed in any desirable manner. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the mullion comprises two principal plastic portions, the upper portion 34 comprising the lower section of the upper breaker strip 35 which surrounds freezing compartment 6. The other principal plastic portion 36 constitutes the upper section of the lower breaker strip 37. These two plastic sections cooperate to define a hollow channel into which is inserted a metal channel 38 which lends rigidity to the plastic and provides a surface against which doors 39 and 40 may bear in part when closed. In other words, the mullion strip is instrumental in cooperating with the doors to seal the interior of the refrigerator cabinet.

An enlarged cross section of the mullion is shown in Figure 4' from which it will be noted that a plastic apron 41 is formed integrally with plastic section 34. The apron acts as a water deflecting shelf directly beneath the forward edge of evaporator 8 in position to deflect defrost water from the evaporator to the top of baffle 10. With reference to this same figure, it will also be noted that slotted members 29 are formed integrally with plastic section 36.

Because of the proximity of the mullion to the evaporator, and because of the relatively large heat transfer area of the mullion exposed to the interior of the refrigerator, dilficulty may be encountered with condensation forming on the exterior of the mullion exposed between the upper and lower doors 39 and 40, respectively. This is undesirable, being unsightly and tending to encourage corrosion of the metal parts nearby. This condition can be avoided by the provision of electrical resistance-type heating wires 42 inside of the metal channel 38. These wires can be energized at all times to dissipate a limited amount of heat to the mullion to prevent its temperature from falling below the dew point of the moist ambient air around the refrigerator.

In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a simple and effective system for removably mounting a baffie within a two door refrigerator. The invention makes possible the vertical adjustment of the baffle into bearing contact with defroster heaters which remove ice formation from the baflle. It will also be apparent that the present invention provides simple and foolproof means for automatically guiding the-'batfle to a predetermined position within the refrigerator in which position the baflle aids in defining airflow passages interconnecting the upper and lower-compartments of the refrigerator and also acts as a receiving tray to collect defrost water from the evaporator and to direct it to a pipe line extending outside the refrigerator.

Having described the preferred embodiment of my invention I claim:

1. In a refrigerator cabinetof the type having upper and lower access openings divided horizontally by a mu]- lion extending between the side walls of the cabinet, a baffle proportioned to pass through the lower access opening, means secured to the interior of the cabinet for' slidably receiving and supporting the rear of said baffle as it is inserted at an angle upwardly through the lower access opening, means secur'edto the cabinet for releasably engagingand supporting the forward portion of said batlle as it is raised into position behind themullion, saidfirst and second, named means being substantially at, the vertical level of the mullion, and means projecting between the mullion and said baflie for guiding said bafile into a predetermined position as it is raised into engagement with said front supporting means.

2. A baflile installation for use in a two door refrigerator cabinet of the type including upper and lower access openings defined in part by a horizontal mullion, the upper access opening permitting entree to a freezing compartment containing an evaporator beneath which is disposed a defroster heater, the baffle installation comprising a batfle, adjustable mounting means secured to the rear of the cabinet interior for supporting the rear portion of the baffle, said means including a rotatable element for raising and lowering the rear of said bafiie to adjust its position relative to the defroster heater, and swingable means secured to the forward portion of the cabinet for releasably supporting the forward portion of said baffle, said first and second named means being substantially at the level of the mullion.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 and, in addition, a projection on the forward portion of said baflle for guiding engagement with an opening formed within the mullion whereby said baflle is guided into a preferred position within the cabinet and behind the mullion.

4. A baffle installation for a refrigerator cabinet of the type including an evaporator beneath which is disposed defroster-heaters, the balfle'installation comprising a horizontal batfle, means secured to the cabinet interior for slidably supporting one side of said baflle and means secured to the cabinet interior remote from said firstnamed means for releasably supporting the other side of said baffle, said defroster-heaters being positioned so that they are in physical contact with said baflle when fully supported, during installation said baffle being first slidably engaged with said first-named means and then raised into engagement with said second-named means for establishing contact with said heaters.

5. In combination in a refrigerator cabinet including a horizontal mullion defining in part an upper and a lower access opening, the upper access opening providing entree to a freezing compartment including an evaporator and electrical defroster heaters beneath the evaporator, a baflle installation comprising a baflle substantially at the level of the mullion and beneath the defroster heaters, eccentrics rotatably secured to the rear of the cabinet interior supporting the rear portion of said baffie for adjustment relative to the defroster heaters, means secured to the cabinet interior for releasably supporting the front portion of said baflde, and means secured to said baffle engaging the mullion for guiding said baflle to a predetermined position within the refrigerator.

6. In combination in a two door refrigerator cabinet including a horizontal mullion defining in part an upper and a lower access opening, the upper access opening providing entree into a freezing compartment including an evaporator and electric defroster heaters beneath the evaporator, abaflie installation comprising abafiiedis posed substantially at thelevel of the 'mullion and'beneath the defrosterheaters, eccentrics rotatably secured to the side walls atthe rear of the cabinet interior for supporting the rear portion of said battle for adjustment vertically relative to the defroster heaters, swingable L-shaped brackets secured to the side 'walls at the f0rward portion'of the cabinet interior for releasably supporting the front portion of said bafiie, T-members formed integrally with theforward edge of 'said bafiie, the rear of the mullion including slots for engaging said T-rnembers for guiding said bafiie'to a predetermined position within the refrigerator as the baflie is slidably supported by said eccentrics and lifted into position for engagement by said brackets.

7. In combination, arefrigerator cabinet including interior Walls, an evaporator within said cabinet surrounded by said interior walls, a defroster-heater contacting said evaporator and having portions disposed beneath said evaporator substantially'parallel'thereto, an adjustable adjustment of said adjustable bracket varying the vertical position of said bafiie' for bringing it into close proximity with said parallel portions of said defroster-heater.

References Cited'in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,065,536 Phillip Dec. 29, 1936 2,178,336 Chapman Oct. 31, 1939 2,496,220 Kleist Jan. 31, 1950 2,580,153 Birkic Dec. 25, 1951 2,612,272 Cobbs Sept. 30, 1952 2,622,412 Staebler Dec. 23, 1952 2,644,319 Millrnan 1 July 7, 1953 2,647,375 Zearfoss, Ir. Aug. 4, 1953 

